We are pleased to announce a new development release of GNU Classpath. GNU
Classpath, Essential Libraries for Java, is a project to create free core
class libraries for use with virtual machines and compilers for the Java
language.

New in this release are the addition of java.nio, VM interface
changes, more flexible build environment to enable or disable creation
of glibj.zip and tests and compilation of the native GTK peers, and
lots of bug fixes and updates to make GNU Classpath more compliant
with the 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 API specification.

Here are the answers to some questions you might have about this project
and this release.

This is enough to run many non-awt programs. Not all classes and
methods are implemented in this release, but most are. Many of the
implemented classes are already up to the 1.2 API spec. Some are
already compliant with the 1.3 and 1.4 API specification. More
information on the current status of each package can be found at
http://www.gnu.org/software/classpath/status.html or by checking the
Tasks section of the Savannah project,
http://savannah.gnu.org/pm/?group_id=85

3). What is required to build/install/run?

GNU Classpath requires a working GNU build environment and a byte code
compiler such as jikes, gcj or kjc. When creating native code you will
also need a working C compiler and optionally up to date Gnome
development libraries (gtk+, libart and gdk-pixbuf). More information
on the precise version numbers for the tools and libraries can be
found in the INSTALL file.

4). What platforms and VMs are supported?

GNU/Linux is the only platform that has been tested. We plan to eventually
support many others.

This release may not be usable with any virtual machine due to the JVM
interface changes since the last release. Some compilers and virtual
machines such as gcj, Kissme, SableVM, Jupiter and Jaos also work with
slightly customized versions of GNU Classpath. Please check if there
is a customized version available for the VM you use before trying the
bare bones GNU Classpath release. We are working with the VM creators
to keep the differences between the core classes as small as possible.

5). Who should use this software?

Although it is already capable of supporting many Java applications, this
is a development release. As such, there are still many unfinished
components, and some problems are to be expected. You should install it if
you are interested in Classpath development or reporting bugs. We
appreciate both.